September 28, 2005

LISTENING LEADERS SEEK SMART SPEAKERS

Listening Leaders® understand there is great value in listening to smart people

who utter smart thoughts. More important they constantly mobilize their everyday
actions to find smart speakers, smart thoughts, and smart ideas. In a world of
limited smart thinkers, the truly smart ideas of human history provide every
focused Listening Leader® unfettered opportunity for growth.
Based on the smart idea that “Listening pays in many ways!” the ongoing challenge
of all listeners is to identify whom, and what, they listen to. Who are the “smart
speakers” who inhabit your life? Who are the “smart speakers” you need to add to
your listening life? What are the “smart ideas” you have found profit from? Where
are the sources for “smart thoughts and ideas” that will serve your future
Listening Leadership®?

Smart speakers who share smart ideas are only as valuable as they are listened to.
As Abraham Maslow noted, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem
looks like a nail.” Listening Leaders® collect “smart thoughts” from “smart
speakers” and build a larger toolbox. In the process, they seek wisdom at every
turn and from a multitude of all ages and sources.

The simple fact is, one person’s “smart speaker” or “smart idea” may not be
another person’s “smart speaker” or “smart idea.” What one person considers a
“smart thought” may not be considered a “smart thought” by others. The task of
differentiation for each Listening Leader® lies in the discovery of who, and what,
is smart and meaningful to them.

LISTENING LEADER KNOWLEDGE NUGGET:

Listening Leaders® understand that all smart ideas that are not listened to have
little value.
Steven D. Price, author of two interesting books, 1001 Dumbest Things Ever Said
and 1001Smartest Things Ever Said, suggests “there is no monopoly on wisdom.” To
support the point that “smart ideas” come from many sources, Price provides a
variety of examples of “smart ideas” that are open to reflection and addition.
Consider the following “samples”, then find your own.

President Abraham Lincoln told the story of an Eastern monarch who once charged
his wise men to invent a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true
and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: “And
this, too, shall pass away.”

Helen Keller believed, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has
sight, but no vision.”

Thomas Paine said, “Lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

Anne Frank observed, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world.”

Will Rogers counseled, “Never let yesterday use up too much of today.”

Eubie Blake, advised, “Be grateful for luck. Pay the thunder no mind─listen to the
birds. And don’t hate nobody.”

Saint Augustine marveled that, “People travel to wonder at the height of the
mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long course of the rivers, at the
vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass
by themselves without wondering.”

Robert Louis Stevenson suggested, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds you plant.”

George Eliot was correct when he said, “You are never too old to be what you might
have been.”

Albert Camus said, “I shall tell you a great secret my friend. Do not wait for the
last judgment, it takes place every day.”

Elizabeth Kenny noted, “He who angers you conquers you.”

Satchel Paige observed

Anais Nin believed, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

Buddha counseled, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and
the life of the candle will not be shortened.”

Edward Bulwer- Lytton said, “One of the surest evidences of friendship that one
individual can display to another is telling him gently of a fault. If any other
can excel it, it is listening to such a disclosure with gratitude, and amending
the error.”

Plautus concurred as he wisely observed, “No man is wise enough by himself.”

Sir Isaac Newton smartly said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by
standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

And as Walter Lippman so eloquently stated, “It requires wisdom to understand

wisdom; the music is nothing if the audience is deaf.”

Ah yes, the opportunity to listen to smart speakers and smart statements comes
from many places and provides great practice for Listening Leaders® in growth.

LISTENING LEADER TIP OF THE WEEK: Seeking smart speakers and thoughts pays
significant dividends.

GOLDEN CIRCLE LISTENING LEADERS QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Live so that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.
~ Will Rogers
In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like
these. ~ Paul Harvey
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. ~ Voltaire
The measure of a man is what he does with power. ~ Pitttacus
Worry is like a rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but it won’t get
you anywhere. ~ Anonymous
For all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these; It might have been.
~ John Greenleaf Whittier
You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself. ~
Galileo Galilei
For most of history, Anonymous was a woman. ~ Virginia Woolf
A LISTENING LEADER GIGGLE:

Some of the smartest thoughts come from innocent, but smart, children. Dr. Michael
Gilbert shared the story of a first grade teacher who presented her young students
the first half of a well-known proverb, and asked them to complete the thought.
Some of the smart responses included the following:
Don’t change horses……….until they stop running.

It’s always darkest before……….Daylight Savings Time.

No news is……….impossible.

You can’t teach an old dog new……....math.

The pen is mightier than the……....pigs.

An idle mind is……....the best way to relax.

Where there is smoke……....there is pollution.

A penny saved is……....not much.

There are none so blind as……....Stevie Wonder.

Children should be seen and not……....spanked or grounded.

And, finally,

Better late than……....pregnant.

Sometimes smart ideas come in small packages.

A LISTENING LEADERS KUDOS:

Kudos to Edwina Allee, an Assistant Vice President of Piper Jaffray, who recently
wrote that she was enjoying the Listening Leaders® Newsletter and thought of us
when she read a short article about a 4-year-old toddler who provided meaningful
wisdom to the Philippine President, Gloria Arroyo.
Evidently, 4-year-old Adrian “Adi” Maronilla, Jr., could speak English at 2, and
name the capitals of 200 countries by the time he was 3, and quickly mastered the
lessons of school. As reported in the Khaleej Times and The Week, President
Arroyo, who has been dogged by corruption charges, was quick to sense a photo-op
and invited Adi to meet her at her Presidential palace.

Like many who were clamoring to hear his ideas on how to solve the Philippine’s
national crisis, Adi’s remedy was quite simple. “All will be fine”, he said, “if
people would stop quarreling and listen to one another.”

Thanks Edwina for sharing a valuable insight from the mouth of a babe.

WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU:

Together, we can change the listening attitudes, skills, and knowledge of leaders
throughout the world. We appreciate and invite your assistance in expanding our
listening leader’s connections. Simple steps in advancing this important movement
include:
Forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues. Invite them to Subscribe
at www.listeningleaders.com
Send us your listening leader insights, examples and stories
Start a Listening Leaders Reading and Discussion Group.
As meeting, conference, and convention attendees spend the bulk of their time
listening, please let others know of our availability to Keynote Conventions and
customize Listening Leader Workshops.
Invite us to identify specific needs for listening development of leaders in your
organizations.
Ask about our special Listening Leader certification process that fully equips you
to deliver the Listening Leaders Workshop to your organization.
We can help, we are committed, and we are listening.
Listen, Lead On & Make Today Count! – Manny & Rick

__________________________________________________________________

LISTENING LEADERS: THE TEN GOLDEN RULES

TO LISTEN, LEAD & SUCCEED

By Dr. Lyman K. Steil

& Dr. Richard K. Bommelje

Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press

(ISBN 1-59298-073-2)

A pioneering book that directly connects listening with leadership.Based on more

than 50 collective years of work with listening leaders throughout the world, Dr.
Steil and Dr. Bommelje have created 10 practical, proven, and priceless rules to
enhance everyone's listening and leadership success. Although outstanding leaders
are outstanding listeners, most leaders have neglected the development of their
listening attitudes, skills and knowledge.

“This is the most significant book ever written on listening and leadership and
will profit leaders at all levels in all types of organizations and enterprises.”
Dr. Ralph Nichols, Father of the Field of Listening

ORDER YOUR COPY at www.ListeningLeaders.com or www.amazon.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listening Leaders is a weekly e-mail newsletter for people who understand the
value of Listening Leadership in their life.

It is brought to you by
the INTERNATIONAL LISTENING LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions.
Please e-mail: ClientServices@ListeningLeaders.com.

Also, please visit our website: www.ListeningLeaders.com

Join our Golden Circle of Listening Leaders who are spreading Listening Leadership
attitude, skills and knowledge worldwide! Forward your copy to anyone you believe
will benefit from reading The Listening Leaders!

COPYRIGHT AND REPRINTS

Reprint permission is granted when the following credit appears: "© International
Listening Leadership Institute. Reprinted with permission from ‘“The Listening
Leaders Newsletter,' a weekly Internet newsletter”. For your own personal
subscription, go to www.ListeningLeaders.com"

PRIVACY STATEMENT
Your e-mail address is absolutely confidential. We will NEVER give, sell or share
your address with anyone.

Subscribe Cancel Update

Dr. Lyman K. (Manny) Steil

25 Robb Farm Road
St. Paul, MN 55127
651-483-3597
LKS@ListeningLeaders.com Dr. Richard K. (Rick) Bommelje
8530 Amber Oak Dr
Orlando, FL 32817
407-679-7280
RKB@ListeningLeaders.com

© 2007 by International Listening Leadership Institute.

All rights reserved

to top
Home | Listening Leadership Programs | Dr.Steil | Dr. Bommelje |
Schedule an Event | Newsletter | Leadership Coaching | ILLI Store
Contact Us

©Copyright 2004 Listening Leaders